This project will benefit 3 rural Maya K'ekchi' communities in the Municipality of Livingston, Izabal, Guatemala with a focus on benefiting and empowering the women in these communities through the development of sustainable small enterprises with local leadership. We will be working directly with 3 Women's Committees with 10 members each to implement the activities. This project addresses a need for sustainable livelihood options, particularly for women in the community.
This project will empower Maya K'ekchi' women residing in three communities in the Municipality of Livingston, Guatemala by helping them establish environmentally sustainable small enterprises as an alternative to the existing limited livelihood options. Most of the residents in the community engage in subsistence farming and fishing.
The project will focus on building the administrative, financial, and organizational capacities of the 3 Women's Committees so that they can participate in the local economy, earn an income, and take leadership in conserving their local ecosystem. The final initiatives will be determined through participatory processes with the women's committees, but some initial ideas they have proposed are offering corn milling and grinding services for nixtamal - the preparation of maize for tortillas.
The project will build the capacity of Women's Committees in 3 villages within the IB'AM'HA watershed to establish small enterprises that can provide alternative livelihoods, helping them provide for their families' well-being, health, and reduce unsustainable production practices that degrade natural resources. We are working in partnership with local organization APROSARSTUN and the Municipal Office of Women to ensure the long-term sustainability of the initiative.
